Loveless
by Vannie von Schweetz
Summary: In a world of rules and arranged marriage, is there any room for true love? Or is everyone a slave to society? The young unmarried members of Victorian London are left to question this as they struggle with feelings of passion and responsibility.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yana Toboso. If They belonged to me, SebxGrell would have LOTS more fanservice.  
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**_Hello, all! I'm sorry I haven't been updating my stories recently- I just got a DeviantArt account(hence my change of penname. I was previously MadamGrellSutcliff) and have been busy working on artwork for the past month and a half. So in apology, here is a new story to read while I update the other ones. This one will have several pairings. Ship what you like. Naturally by the end, there will be a few defined pairings, but if you want to see it as a false relationship, be my guest. Part of my goal in writing this was to create a scenario in which SebCiel doesn't completely disgust me, and makes sense/isn't completely disgusting in other people who dislike the pairing.  
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**_Well, I like how I made it work in some of this.  
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**_Once again, there are going to be LOTS of shippings going on here, so take what you want.  
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It had been a disaster of grand proportion, annihilating all traces of what had once been the wealth of the Phantomhive family. Not a ten-pound note had managed to escape the angry flames that devoured the costly manor, a five star dinner for a hungry fire indeed. Now the Phantomhives, once the richest and snobbiest of nobles, were quite nearly penniless. Naturally, this was completely unacceptable to not only them, but all the other nobles in London. It would damage the image that the nobles built for themselves in the eyes of the middle and lower-classes. Nobles were above those people! They must remain rich and untouchable in their eyes, lest they get foolish ideas of being equal.

Thus, in response to the cataclysmic disaster, five noble families, including the Phantomhives, joined as a council to discuss the issue and resolve it before the information could be leaked. The Phantomhives were the first to arrive at the hospitable Faustus household, where the meeting was to be held. Following soon after were the Sutcliff family, the Spears family, and then finally the Michaelis family. The children and young adults were shepherded into a separate room and given run of the house while the heads of each family gathered in the dining room for dinner and discussion.

As it was Lord Faustus who was hosting the meeting, the other families waited politely for him to commence the discussion.

"As we know, we are here to discuss the Phantomhive family crisis. It is unacceptable for a noble family to be poor. We have all previously agreed to do everything in our power to assist hiding the situation from the public, but this is only a short term fix. In the future they will need to accumulate their wealth again. It would take far too long to earn up to their previous status."

There were murmurs of approval around the room, quickly replaced by whispered bickering of how exactly that would be to happen. Finally, Lord Spears announced, "How exactly will this be accomplished? I agree that it must be done, but we are not charities-"

"Nor do we ask charity of you," Vincent Phantomhive cut him off a tad coldly, "We would deny any such offer."

"Then how do you propose you get the money? Thievery?"

"I do not know," he admitted, "One of the only possible ways would be for a daughter to marry into another rich family. Unfortunately, our daughter did not escape the fire and only our son is left."

Perhaps it was not all of a surprise what Lord Sutcliff suggested next. However, it remained to be a shocking revelation.

"As you know, my closely trusted friends, our most closely kept secret is our 'daughter's' true identity. Ever since he was a little boy, he has shamefully acted as a member of the opposite sex and no amount of counselling was able to change him. To protect the honour of our family, we had to forge documents to make him seem to be the female he claims to be, and Lord Spears agreed to have his oldest son betrothed to him, as his is one of the only families I trust with this secret," he announced in his heavy German accent, "I propose that you do similar. Make it so Ciel Phantomhive perished in the fire, and young Robin Phantomhive lives as her brother. Robin can then marry into a rich family."

Of course, the suggestion was highly a highly controversial one, but the arguments did not last long- it was clear to all of them that this was the only solution.

"Very well," Vincent finally agreed, "It would seem that this is the only way. But I do not trust any families but yours to hold these secrets. Are any of you willing to connect our families through marriage?"

There were more murmured exchanges. The Spears family had only two sons, both betrothed. The Sutcliffs only had one, disgraceful child. The Fausts were the youngest family and did not yet have any children. Only the Michaelis Family, the oldest family, was left. They had six children, three of whom were boys.

Lord Michaelis spoke up.

"Our youngest son is not yet betrothed. All the other noble women had been taken and so he has remained without a fiancée. He is a dutiful, kind young boy, if not a bit quiet. If this is how it must be, no choice would be better than he."

And so, Sebastian learned he was to marry a girl he thought was dead, but apparently wasn't. He didn't ask questions- it was his duty to obey his parents. So he did what they expected of him. He treated delicate little Robin with care. He was a perfect gentleman for her.

Ciel, meanwhile, was very confused by the whole ordeal. He was suddenly taken from his free life of play to be tutored every day on how to act and think and sit and eat... And he had to wear his sister's clothes. And he had to be called by his sister's name. He couldn't tell anyone either- according to his parents it was a very very fun Game. The Game had easy rules. He had to pretend he was his sister. If he told someone, or someone found out, he would lose the Game and be in big, big trouble. But every week if he was good and acted right, he would get to play in the centre of their new, big garden and eat any chocolate he wanted. At first the Game was annoying, but he soon got used to it. He needed a Game since his sister wasn't there to play with him anymore. He began to even enjoy how people always believed him. He kept score.

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**_Thus ends Chapter 1._**

**_Please read and review!  
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	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

_****_**Thanks for the follows and favourites, guys! Here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji or any of the characters**

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As the years passed, both boys discovered what was really happening. As usual, Sebastian seemed to simply accepted it. But Ciel became resentful. He kept the game up, but it bothered him that he was being forced to live the restrictive life of a girl. He complained to his parents often, only to be ignored. Some part of him thought that his parents had actually begun to believe the lie. In the end, the only person he could talk to freely was Sebastian.

He didn't mind being Sebastian's fiancée. He was nice. He listened. They were good friends. The two shared secrets that they would share with no one else- secrets they COULDN'T share with anyone else.

Today, Ciel was fed up with being a girl. He needed to talk with Sebastian again. The only person who really loved him. He left the new mansion, kindly donated by the queen, and set out on his own the the Michaelis household, refusing chauffeurs as he left. He arrived at his fiancée's house in a huff and was escorted to Sebastian's room at his demand.

Ciel did not even bother to say hello when the butler of the house shut the door, leaving him with Sebastian in private.

"I hate my life!" he announced, throwing himself in an un-lady-like fashion face-first into the cushions of the fancy red sofa where Sebastian sat, previously reading. He felt Sebastian's hands immediately resting on his shoulders, the Sebastian equivalent of a hug.

"What's the matter, Robin?"

"Don't call me that! My name is CIEL! And I hate being a girl. I want to be a boy again. Life is so restrictive! I wish I had never been born!"

Ciel broke into tears.

Sebastian had heard this story before. He knew the routine. It was very dull and unchanging. In fact, his whole life was mostly dull and unchanging. It bothered him no end. Ciel was a wonderful friend, and he brought him some tiny amount of colour and joy in his monochrome life, but he could nag about the same thing forever. And was, although he would never dare say it outloud, a bit of a brat.

Sebastian had indeed been raised to be a polite perfect gentleman. And he was, but he didn't want to be. He wanted to be like the dashing rogue pirate heroes of the cheap, middle-class novels that he and his other noble friend would smuggle in and out of their mansions and read together. They would act out the stories in secret at night in the gardens. It was the closest to adventure that he ever felt he could get.

But the midnight adventures could not last forever. Sebastian knew that sooner or later, the games would end and he would again be in a monochrome, boring world. For now, though, Ciel needed his attention.

Ciel felt comforted by his friend's proximity. His sobbing died down and he continued his rant.

"I can't do anything. Life is just a giant rule that I cant break. I want to stop being a girl. Do you think I should just stop? Not listen to them?"

"Ciel, you would bring disgrace to the family if you did. But I understand what you feel."

"No you don't."

"I sort of do, then. My parents are very strict too."

"But you aren't a GIRL."

"I guess that's true. What would be good about being a boy again?"

"I could wear breeches again. I could go to a boys school. I could go outside when I wanted. I could go hunting. I could get a job..."

The list continued.

"The only thing stopping me..."

This intrigued Sebastian. Ciel never mentioned this reason before.

"Yes?"

"Then you couldn't marry me. And I don't want that. I don't want to hurt your feelings like that. You're wonderful. Everything any girl or boy could wish for."

Sebastian did his best to hide the surprise on his face. He managed quite well. But his movements were now slow and ackward.

He replied carefully, "This isn't about me."

"Of course it is. You're my fiancée! You don't want me being a boy!"

"Ciel, I don't mind if you don't marry me."

That was a bad choice of wording. Ciel's eyes watered and he looked at the older boy angrily. Sebastian could tell that in his current mental state, Ciel would overreact to nearly everything.

"You don't love me? I thought we were friends!"

"Ciel, calm down- we are friends. I just want what's best for you."

"You don't think you are best for me! You don't think I'm best for you! I should have known!"

Ciel stormed out without waiting for a response. Sebastian rubbed his temples to try and prevent a sprouting headache without success.

_Oh, brilliant._

Ciel wasted no time. His parents were out. Good. He rummaged through his room until he found a plain blue nightdress that was slightly too small for him. He tore off the sleeves, making it into a tunic by adding a belt. He wasn't wearing a corset for once in a very long time, and he loved the feeling. He felt so free! He raided his parent's room until he found a pair of his fathers leggings, which he quickly rolled up to fit him.

He felt like a boy.

He felt free!

Of course, he couldn't stay here. Not anymore. Not like this. He hesitated for a moment- was there?

He remembered his long walks through London with Sebastian. In a corset. Holding a parasol. And wearing some horrible multi-layer dress that made breathing nearly impossible.

He climbed out through a window.


End file.
